04-22-2025, 05:45 PM
The ambassador nodded and squeezed past the away team, leading them out of the cramped office and onto the street where a gust of cold wind greeted them. He moved with purpose, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to ensure that the away team remained in tow. At the end of the second block from the embassy, he turned sharply into an alley.
The area looked a lot more dilapidated then where the team had beamed in and a handful of shops along the narrow corridor including a clinic that advertised affordable cyberware. The door’s power system was malfunctioning, causing it to twitch in a slightly ajar position. Passersby in this area were more brazen in their gawking at the group. Some openly sneered and whispered to each other as they passed.
“Stay close, not too much further now,” the Ambassador muttered in a tone which was relaxed.
After a tense walk, the group arrived at their destination. The restaurant entrance was marked by a fabric divider, reminiscent of a Japanese noren. On either side of the entrance stood a golden statue depicting some kind of bovine animal with a ridged horn. An odd (yet not altogether unappetizing) aroma wafted from the building.
Inside, the restaurant was abuzz with the din of patrons. The lights were a dim scarlet color, which glinted against the ornate decor. A violet-skinned Riani greeted them from behind a counter. The host's sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, showing off a pair of silver-colored implants running along each arm.
“Mister Weisbrantz, it’s so wonderful to see you again,” The host crooned. “Will your friends be joining us tonight?”
“Glad you’re feeling better, Yully. We’ll take the usual room, if you don’t mind,” Weisbrantz replied.
The host nodded, shooting a curious glance at the group before leading them into a private dining room at the back of the restaurant. A waiter brought glasses for each member of the party, then set down a bottle of strong-smelling clear liquor on the table and slid the door shut behind him as he left.
“Now we should be able to speak openly,” Weisbrantz said, sliding into a seat. He left the head of the table open for the captain to sit down.
“Let’s get to the point: our first priority is to find Saida Gebrezghi. I believe that she’s somewhere on Riani, possibly even here in Tanndi. I can’t prove it, but my contacts in the government are spooked. Nobody will meet with me, and there are rumors that something was shot down a couple of days ago." Jonas ran his hands through his red hair, looking tired.
“Concealing life signs is easy, but you can start by looking for the shuttle. It’ll be picked clean by now, but there could be some evidence left behind. Still, even if you find the shuttle, you’ll need to be careful. You’ve seen how overzealous the military can be.
"Please, if you have any questions for me, I’ll do my best to answer honestly.” The ambassador looked at the crew expectantly, taking a long sip from his glass.
"Why would some of the people not want the Federation here? I would think that they were eager for the technology they would have access to. What are they afraid of?" asked Commander Talion while Brooks was thinking on what the Ambassador had said.
Weisbrantz sighed in agreement with Thorn’s question. “I can only guess why. Things on Riani are tense: nations are on the brink of war. Maybe it was an accident, or perhaps a rogue actor took it upon themselves to break this alliance before it begins. I have faith that President Khushku would not order this, but she may be in an impossible situation if she finds out that it happened under her nose.”
The ambassador turned to Talion next. “It’s true that many Riani are fascinated by Federation technology, the crime families have a pretty good thing going. They’ve made it their mission to fight anything that looks like a threat to their business.”
She approached the Captain and the Ambassador, giving Brooks a look that would communicate to the CO that all things were not so rosy.
"I am afraid that I have some bad news, and she showed the brutal image of the downed shuttle which she had loaded to her padd, to both men, adding: "There was no sign of a body yet we can be sure that someone has her. I understand your reasoning as to why you wish to remain, however as Security Chief it is my judgement that remaining here risks you both."
Kurasa paused before addressing the Ambassador, "Sir, with respect why is risking your life worth maintaining contact here? I am not unaware of the possible benefits, but in my professional estimate it may be outweighed by the risk to us and our technology."
Finally, he looked at the image that Kurasa presented. From the surface, his face seemed only to go a bit pale, though the empaths would feel the deep pit of dread that had opened up in his chest.
“How unfortunate, though it confirms what I already feared. Is your team able to find a way down to the surface to investigate? We need to move as quickly as possible.”
His eyes softened as he addressed Kurasa directly. “Commander, I understand that I’ve brought you into a mess. I’ve begun to think of Riani as my home, and I won’t leave while I still have hope for it. I believe we can solve this problem without any blood spilled.”
Captain Brooks listened to everything his icy blue eyes checking out the Ambassadors reactions to what was being said,
"From what I can gather if the Ambassador leaves here then chances are the Federation won't have the contact they need, there is several possibilities that who ever has the incoming Ambassador could be using them or forcing them to conform into helping them maybe."
He paused for a moment,
"I am sure the Aquila will be able to scan the surface and find any trace elements of the shuttle, as Kurasa has said we need to make sure you are safe while we are here. We do not want to risk you in this fragile element of this world. I would suggest you take a small security detail from the Commanders team while we investigate this shall we say problem?"
==Tag all and GM07==
The area looked a lot more dilapidated then where the team had beamed in and a handful of shops along the narrow corridor including a clinic that advertised affordable cyberware. The door’s power system was malfunctioning, causing it to twitch in a slightly ajar position. Passersby in this area were more brazen in their gawking at the group. Some openly sneered and whispered to each other as they passed.
“Stay close, not too much further now,” the Ambassador muttered in a tone which was relaxed.
After a tense walk, the group arrived at their destination. The restaurant entrance was marked by a fabric divider, reminiscent of a Japanese noren. On either side of the entrance stood a golden statue depicting some kind of bovine animal with a ridged horn. An odd (yet not altogether unappetizing) aroma wafted from the building.
Inside, the restaurant was abuzz with the din of patrons. The lights were a dim scarlet color, which glinted against the ornate decor. A violet-skinned Riani greeted them from behind a counter. The host's sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, showing off a pair of silver-colored implants running along each arm.
“Mister Weisbrantz, it’s so wonderful to see you again,” The host crooned. “Will your friends be joining us tonight?”
“Glad you’re feeling better, Yully. We’ll take the usual room, if you don’t mind,” Weisbrantz replied.
The host nodded, shooting a curious glance at the group before leading them into a private dining room at the back of the restaurant. A waiter brought glasses for each member of the party, then set down a bottle of strong-smelling clear liquor on the table and slid the door shut behind him as he left.
“Now we should be able to speak openly,” Weisbrantz said, sliding into a seat. He left the head of the table open for the captain to sit down.
“Let’s get to the point: our first priority is to find Saida Gebrezghi. I believe that she’s somewhere on Riani, possibly even here in Tanndi. I can’t prove it, but my contacts in the government are spooked. Nobody will meet with me, and there are rumors that something was shot down a couple of days ago." Jonas ran his hands through his red hair, looking tired.
“Concealing life signs is easy, but you can start by looking for the shuttle. It’ll be picked clean by now, but there could be some evidence left behind. Still, even if you find the shuttle, you’ll need to be careful. You’ve seen how overzealous the military can be.
"Please, if you have any questions for me, I’ll do my best to answer honestly.” The ambassador looked at the crew expectantly, taking a long sip from his glass.
"Why would some of the people not want the Federation here? I would think that they were eager for the technology they would have access to. What are they afraid of?" asked Commander Talion while Brooks was thinking on what the Ambassador had said.
Weisbrantz sighed in agreement with Thorn’s question. “I can only guess why. Things on Riani are tense: nations are on the brink of war. Maybe it was an accident, or perhaps a rogue actor took it upon themselves to break this alliance before it begins. I have faith that President Khushku would not order this, but she may be in an impossible situation if she finds out that it happened under her nose.”
The ambassador turned to Talion next. “It’s true that many Riani are fascinated by Federation technology, the crime families have a pretty good thing going. They’ve made it their mission to fight anything that looks like a threat to their business.”
She approached the Captain and the Ambassador, giving Brooks a look that would communicate to the CO that all things were not so rosy.
"I am afraid that I have some bad news, and she showed the brutal image of the downed shuttle which she had loaded to her padd, to both men, adding: "There was no sign of a body yet we can be sure that someone has her. I understand your reasoning as to why you wish to remain, however as Security Chief it is my judgement that remaining here risks you both."
Kurasa paused before addressing the Ambassador, "Sir, with respect why is risking your life worth maintaining contact here? I am not unaware of the possible benefits, but in my professional estimate it may be outweighed by the risk to us and our technology."
Finally, he looked at the image that Kurasa presented. From the surface, his face seemed only to go a bit pale, though the empaths would feel the deep pit of dread that had opened up in his chest.
“How unfortunate, though it confirms what I already feared. Is your team able to find a way down to the surface to investigate? We need to move as quickly as possible.”
His eyes softened as he addressed Kurasa directly. “Commander, I understand that I’ve brought you into a mess. I’ve begun to think of Riani as my home, and I won’t leave while I still have hope for it. I believe we can solve this problem without any blood spilled.”
Captain Brooks listened to everything his icy blue eyes checking out the Ambassadors reactions to what was being said,
"From what I can gather if the Ambassador leaves here then chances are the Federation won't have the contact they need, there is several possibilities that who ever has the incoming Ambassador could be using them or forcing them to conform into helping them maybe."
He paused for a moment,
"I am sure the Aquila will be able to scan the surface and find any trace elements of the shuttle, as Kurasa has said we need to make sure you are safe while we are here. We do not want to risk you in this fragile element of this world. I would suggest you take a small security detail from the Commanders team while we investigate this shall we say problem?"
==Tag all and GM07==